Although there is still debate in the hockey world about the success of NHL's expansion to the Sun Belt region, there is no denying that it has expanded the American player pool and created interest where none previously existed.

When Luke Lucyk was drafted by the Tri-City Storm of the United States Hockey League in 2002, he remembers thinking, "What kind of team is that, and what is it doing in Kearney, Nebraska?" Players 16-20 come to towns such at Kearney lured by the prospect that playing in the USHL can enhance chances of playing college hockey and drawing notice from the NHL.